Meat-cutter.



No 643,549. Patented Feb. 13, I900.

. E. F. SMITH.

MEAT CUTTER. A u'camo filgd June 19, 1899.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

EDWARD F. SMITH, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO JOSIAH ANSTICE, OFSAME PLACE.

MEAT-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,549, dated February13, 1900.

Application filed June 19, 1899. Serial No. 721,116. (No model.)

supported perforated cutter-plate with which an internally-arrangedrevoluble cutter-knife coacts. Heretofore in cutting-machines involvingthese elements the outer perforated movably-supported cutting-plate hasbeen' supported at its edge either by a ring or the equivalent deviceengaging the edge thereof. In this previously-arranged construction inorder to prevent a binding of the parts in operation it has beennecessary to have the revolving cutter-knife and the edge-supportedperforated cutting-plate strictly parallel, which necessarily increasesthe cost of production,as will be readily understood by those skilled inthe art.

One object of my present invention is to avoid the necessity of havingthe knife revolve strictly parallel with the plate and to avoid thenecessity of having the central bearing strictly at right angles to thecutting-knife by permitting the perforated cutting-plate to have awabbling movement, and thus enable it to work right up to the severingedge of the internally-arranged knife Whether that knife and its shaftrun perfectly true or not.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cutterembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal longitudinal sectionalview through the cylinder, looking from above. Fig. 3 is a detachedperspective view of the clamping-bar for the perforated cutting-plate.Fig. t is an enlarged crosssectional View on the line 4 at of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, A is the standard, carrying at its upperend a horizontal tapered cylinder B, which has communicating with oneend a hopper O and an open outer flanged end D. The interior of thiscylinder B is provided with a spiral rib, and passing through thecylinder is a spirallythreaded forcing-shaft E, both of which may be ofthe usual construction. One end of this forcing-shaft passes through therear end of the cylinder B and has connected therewith in any desiredmanner an operating-handle F. The outer end of this forcing-shaft E isprovided with a knife, preferably composed of a laterally-projectingflange G, which in turn is provided with a plurality of openings H, theedges of the said openings forming cutters which coact with the inneredges of the openings I in the outer perforated coactin g cutterplate J.This cutting-plate J is loosely supported within the flanged end D ofthe cylinder B and has its inner face resting directly against the saidcutting-flange Gof the forcingshaft. For the purpose of holding thisperforated cutting-plate J in contact with the outer face of thecutting-flange Gand in such a man- 'ner as to permit the saidcutter-plate to rest closely against the outer face of the knife orcutting-flange and to work close thereagainst irrespective of anywabbling of the said outting-flange, owing to any irregularity in itsthickness or owing to any unevenness thereof, which may arise fromseveral causes-as, for instance, the bearing of the shaft not beingabsolutely true, or the cutter-flange not being absolutely true inrespect to the shaft, or the end'of the cylinder against which the innerface of the cutter-flange rests not being absolutely true, in whichevent the outer perforated cutter-plate J will bind the machine unlessit is supported in a manner to allow it to follow any untrue movement ofthe cutter-fiange l provide for this contingency by holding thecutting-plate J against the outer face of the cutting-flange G at acentral point in contradistinction to supporting it at its edges. Thisarrangement permits the plate J to follow and to work closely againstthe outer face of the cutting-flange at all times and avoids thenecessity of accurate work in the construction of the machine, and thuscheapens the production thereof.

The cutterplate' J is held by a transverse bar K, which is pivotallysupported at one side of the end of the cylinder B-as, for instance, thepoint L-whereby it can be swung from across the face of the plate J topermit its removal, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1. The oppositeend of this clamping-bar K is provided with a slot M, adapted to receivea screw-bolt N, passing into a laterally-projecting ear P upon theflanged end D of the cylinder. The inneredge of this clampingbar K hasat its center an inwardly-projecting portion Q, adapted to engage thecentral portion of the plate J and form the only means of holding theplate against the cuttingflange G. This arrangement, as will be readilyunderstood, enables me to clamp the cutting-plate J against the outerface of the cutting-flange G with the desired amount of tension orfriction, while at the same time it will permit the cutting-plate J tofollow any untrue movement which the cutting-flange may have. Thisconstruction is found by me to be very advantageous, for should anythingwork between the inner face of the cuttingfiange and its seat againstthe end of the cylinder it will not alfect the operation of my machine,for the plate J will conform its position to that of the cutting-flange,whereas in constructions heretofore devised which support thecutting-plate J from the edge such a condition would at once wedge themachine and either absolutely stop the operation of the machine or,should the machine be forced,would causeaseriousinjury thereto.

From the above description it will be noted thatin addition to soclamping the cutter-plate J as to permit it to follow the untrueness ofthe cutting-flange I also provide a clamping means that enables theparts of the machine to be quickly removed for the purpose of cleaningas compared with a screw-ring, which not only has the disadvantage ofrequiring accuracy in the construction of the machine, as heretoforestated, but also requiring carefulness in the replacing of the screwcapwhen it has been removed and which requires more time in removing andreplacing than is required with a clamping device such as that I haveshown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. A cutter of the character described comprising a cylinder, aforcing-shaft therein, a knife connected with said shaft, a cutter-plateloosely supported at the outer end of said cylinder and engaging theouter face of said outter, one of said cutting members being rotatable,and a clamping member carried by the cylinder and engaging the saidcutting-plate at its center, substantially as described.

2. A cutter of the character described comprising a cylinder, arotatable forcing-shaft therein, a knife carried by said shaft at theouter end thereof, a cutter-plate loosely supported outside of saidcutter and engaging the outer face thereof, one of said cutting membersbeing stationary and the other relatively rotatable, and a clampingmember carried by said cylinder and having an inwardly-extending centralprojection engaging the center of said cutter-plate, substantially asdescribed.

3. A cutter of the character described comprising a cylinder, arotatable forcing-shaft therein carrying at its outer end a knife, astationary cutter-plate r'novably supported out-side of said cutter andengaging the outer face thereof, and. a clamping member looselysupported at one side of the end of the cylinder, having a centralinwardly-extending projection engaging the center of said cuttingplate,the cylinder carrying a clamping member, and the free end of thisclamping memher having an open-ended slot adapted to engage the saidclarnping member, substantially as described.

4. A cutter comprising a cylinder, a rotatable forcing-shaft thereincarrying at its outer end a knife, the outer end of the cylinderconstructed to receive a cutting-plate, a relatively-stationarycutting-plate loosely seated therein and engaging the outer face ofthe'knife, the end of the cylinder having oppositely'disposed projections, aclamping member pivoted at one end to one of said projections, saidclamping member having an inwardly-extending central projection engagingthe center of the cutting-plate, and a clamping-screw passing throughthe opposite end of said clamping-bar and into the otheroppositely-disposed projection of the cylinder, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

' EDWARD F. SMITH. Witnesses:

ELLA MoAnrREY, WM. 0. COOPER.

